Biology subjects

Elbroch, L. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Elbroch, L. M..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Texans support mountain lion conservation management

The state of Texas encompasses an estimated 7% of the United States mountain lion (Puma concolor) population, a likely overestimate due to their nongame status, unregulated take and high mountain lion mortality rates. In August 2022, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) denied a petition to amend state mountain lion management policies, but was mandated by the Texas Wildlife Commission to form a stakeholder group to assess the potential to initiate mountain lion management and policy. Herein, we synthesize survey data collected and previously published in a report by Ghasemi et al. (2022) to provide members of this mountain lion stakeholder working group, the Commission, and TPWD with succinct summaries of Texas residents knowledge and attitudes salient to the evaluation of mountain lion management in the state. We analyzed responses to represent the opinion of all Texans as well as to compare the sentiments of four key stakeholder groups: hunters vs. nonhunters; livestock owners vs. people without livestock; urban vs. rural residents; and Hispanics vs. non-Hispanics. Overall, Texans expressed a positive sentiment about mountain lions and supported management to conserve the species. Respondents exhibited very high consensus regarding the value of scientific research about mountain lions and expressed overwhelming support for mandatory reporting of any mountain lion killed for any purpose by hunters, trappers, or state or federal agents. Texas residents also backed a compensation program supporting livestock producers who lose animals to mountain lions and rapid checking of set traps. Contrary to expectation, hunters and livestock owners were more positive about mountain lions than non-hunters and people without livestock, and we detected no differences in the responses of urban versus rural residents or Hispanics versus non-Hispanics on any topic.

scientific communication and education↗

bioRxiv2020

Biogeographical and ecological factors associated with kill rates of an apex predator

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWKill rates and functional responses are fundamental to the study of predator ecology and the understanding of predatory-prey dynamics. As the most widely distributed apex predator in the western hemisphere pumas (Puma concolor) have been widely studied yet a biogeographical synthesis of their kill rates is currently lacking. We reviewed the literature and compiled data on sex- and age-specific kill rate estimates of pumas on ungulates, and conducted analyses aimed at understanding ecological factors explaining the observed variation across their range. Kill rate studies on pumas, while numerous, were primarily conducted in Temperate Conifer Forests (< 10% of puma range), revealing a dearth of knowledge across much of their range, especially from tropical and subtropical habitats. Across studies, kill rates in ungulates/week were highest for adult females with kitten(s) (1.24 {+/-} 0.41 ungulates/week) but did not vary significantly between adult males (0.84 {+/-} 0.18) and solitary adult females (0.99 {+/-} 0.26). Kill rates in kg/day did not differ significantly among reproductive classes. Kill rates of adult pumas increased with ungulate density. Ungulate species richness had a weak negative association with adult male kill rates. Neither scavenger richness, the proportion of non-ungulate prey in the diet, nor regional human population density had a significant effect on ungulate kill rates. Our results had a strong temperate-ecosystem bias highlighting the need for further research across the diverse biomes pumas occupy in order to make species level inferences. Data from more populations would also allow for multivariate analyses providing deeper inference into the ecological and behavioural factors driving kill rates and functional responses of pumas, and apex predators in general.

ecology↗